Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
Commonwealth
- Narrated by: Hope Davis
- Length: 10 hrs and 33 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
Commonwealth
Buy Now for £14.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Summary
'Dazzling … life-affirming and compulsively readable' Sunday Times
'Patchett blends wisdom and humanity jointly with the icy forensic gaze of someone not afraid to expose the frailties of human behaviour ... Read it' Jojo Moyes
'An outstanding novel ... a master of her art' Observer
It is 1964: Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keating’s christening party uninvited and notices a heart stoppingly beautiful woman. When he kisses Beverly Keating, his host’s wife, he sets in motion the joining of two families, whose shared fate will be defined on a day seven years later.
In 1988, Franny Keating, now twenty-four, is working as a cocktail waitress in Chicago. When she meets the famous author Leon Posen one night at the bar, and tells him about her family, she unwittingly relinquishes control over their story…
Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Commonwealth
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kindle Customer
- 15-04-24
A Beautifully Written Family Saga
I don't know what took me so long to read a second Ann Patchet. I must have read State of Wonder about 10 years ago and also loved it but have only now picked up Commonwealth. Don’t think it will be leaving it another ten years
This novel is bookended by two parties 50 years apart, and we follow the Keatings and the Cousins' over those intervening years.
This is a meditation on how the briefist of moments can change the course of life entirely and how differing parenting styles can affect each child differently, both as children and adults.
I will say the plot does jump around somewhat without much signposting, but I think think this was intentional to make the reader route themselves in the story and encourage them to focus on character rather than plot.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jane Music
- 16-11-23
Great story
Carefully crafted story which pulls you in. Well written and lovely performance. I’ll miss the characters in the story..
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- debbieg
- 25-08-24
Good but maybe too complicated for an audio experience
Writing excellent as all her books and great set pieces but the structure and number of characters with complicated relationships to each other made it hard to grasp as a whole listening experience.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Molly
- 26-07-24
American family drama
Beautifully read, this book follows two families and the fall-out from a divorce on the six children.
I haven’t read any Ann Pritchett before but will do now.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars
-
Story2 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 18-07-24
Lovely premise of the danger of beauty.
The endless intergenerational fallout within families. The tragedies and damage caused by 2 marrieds who leave their respective families.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story3 out of 5 stars
- G TRUNDLE
- 08-12-23
The development of the story
Excellent A truly amazing book. Thank you
Such a good author The children’s characters development is so sensitive
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful